Air brake bleeder valve



June 2, 1931. w, ls 1,807,842

AIR BRAKE BLEEDER VALVE Filed Feb. 23, 1929 INVENTOR Zia/frit- 7 BY Patented June 2, 1931 UNETED STES FRANK W. HARRIS, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA AIR BRAKE BLEEDER VALVE Application filed February 23, 1929.

My invention relates to bleeder valves for air brake systems and an object thereof is to simplify and generally improve valves of this type now in existence.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bleeder valve which may be operated to opened or closed positions from either side of a railway car and which when operated to open position will hold the valve open with out the use of latch devices or other fastenings.

Further the invention provides a valve of this character embodying a pivoted valve depressing element for camming engagement with a spring seated valve whereby the latter will be depressed to open position and held in such position until the valve depressing ele ment has been manually moved to inoperative position.

lVith the precedin and other objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists in the novel combination of elements, constructions and arrangements of parts and operations to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a railway car equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, the broken lines indicating the device in operated position; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the invention with the operating rod or handle disconnected therefrom;

Referring to the invention in detail a conventional bleeder valve 5 having a spring seated valve element 6 is provided and is mounted upon the usual auxiliary air reservoir,7.

The upper end of the valve casing is formed with a pair of upstanding parallel arms 8 which are located upon opposite sides of the projecting end of the valve element 6. F A valve depressing member is provided in the form of a rectangular plate 9 which is positioned between the arms 8 and is pivotally supported for movement about a hori- I zontal axis by a pivot pin 10 extending trans- 5 versely through the upper ends of the arms Serial N0. 342,246.-

and the plate. A cam surface 11 is formed on the lower edge of the plate and is engage able with the projecting end of the valve element 6 to de ress the latter to o enoosition.

The plate is limited in its movement in a direction to depress the valve element by a depending finger or lug 12 formed on the lower edge of the plate at its outer end.

F or the purpose of actuating the valve depressing member the plate 9 is cast with a rocker arm or link 13. As disclosed particularly in Fig. 2 the inner end of the plate is connected with the rocker arm or link centrally of the ends of the latter( Oppositely extending rods or handles 14 are pivotally connected with the ends of the rocker arm or link as at 15. The rods or handles extend to opposite sides of the railway car indicated at 16 and pass through yokes or brackets 17 depending from the under frame of the car.

With my invention it will be seen that a trainman may manipulate the bleeder valve to open or closed, position by shifting either rod or handle 14 in the requisite longitudinal direction. .Thus a. trainman working upon one side of a train will be relieved of the necessity of going to the opposite side of the train and the resultant dangers of passing between two adjacent cars. Moreover, the

valve element will be positively held in open position without the use of latch devices or fastenings for the handles or .rods 14. In this connection it is pointed out that when the parts are moved to the dotted line position the cam surface 11 engages the projecting end of the valve element and depresses the latter. By reason of this cam surface engaging the valve element the valve element will be held in open position.

I claim:

1. The combination with the bleeder valve of the auxiliary reservoir of a brake system having a depressible valve element, of a valve element depressing member pivotally I supported on the bleeder valve directly above the valve element, a link'rigid with the pivoted valve depressing member, the valve depressing member being located centrally of the ends of the link, and a pair of oppositely extending operating rods, each of which being pivotally connected with one end of the link and extending in opposite directions whereby the valve depressing member may be moved to active or inactive positions from either side of a car upon which the bleeder valve is mounted.

2. The combination with a bleeder valve having a normally closed depressible valve element, of a pivoted valve depressing element supported on the valve casing and normally disposed in a position to permit the valve element to remain seated and having a cam surface which is operable to depress the valve element and hold in it such position, a link attached to the valve depressing element and normally disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bleeder valve, the pivoted valve depressing element being located centrally of the ends of the link and oppositely extending handles pivoted to the ends of the link whereby the valve depressing member may be moved to active and inactive position from either side of the car to which the bleeder valve is attached.

3. The combination with a bleeder valve having a depressible valve element whose stem projects from the upper end of the valve casing, of a link arranged to one side of the bleeder valve and normally disposed in a vertical position, a valve depressing element eX- tending laterally from the link intermediate the ends of the latter and pivotally supported on the bleeder valve above the valve stem and having a cam surface adapted to engage the projecting end of the stem to depress the valve element when the valve depressing element is moved about its axis in one direction, the cam surface and valve stem also cooperating in maintaining the valve depressing element and link in actuated position.

4:.- The combination with a bleeder valve having a depressible valve element whosestem projects from the upper end of the valve casing, of a link arranged to one side of the bleeder valve and normally disposed in a vertical position, a valve depressing element extending laterally from the link intermediate the ends of the latter and pivotally supported on the bleeder valve above the valve stem and having a cam surface adapted to engage the projecting end of the stem to depress the valve element when the valve depressing element is movedabout its axis in one direction, the cam surface andvalve stem also cooperating in maintaining the valve depressing element and link in actuated position, and manually operable means associated with the links.

5. The combination with a .bleeder valve having a depressible valve element whose stem projects from the upper end of the valve casing, of a link arranged to one side of the bleeder valve and normally disposed in a vertical position, a valve depressing element extending laterally from the link intermediate the ends of the latter and pivotally supported on the bleeder valve above the valve stem and having a cam surface adapted to engage the projecting end of the stem to depress the valve element when the valve clepressing element is moved about its axis in one direction, the cam surface and valve stem also cooperating in maintaining the valve depressing element and link in actuated position, and manually operable means associated with the links, and a finger projecting laterally from the valve depressing element and adapted to engage the bleeder valve to limit the movement of the valve depressing member in one direction.

FRANK W. HARRIS. 

